Life-saving method and apparatus for submarine crews



Feb. 18, 1930. E. P. LAURENT '1,747,943

LIFE SAVING METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE. CREWS Filed JB. n 9, 1929 Hg. l K .42

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yPatented Feb. 1,8,V r193() f i d i i n y u z. sTATEs PATENT orti-ics c bn'RNnsr V:encarnanWENT, or REIMS, FRANCE LrFEQSAvINGMETHoD AND APPARATUS FORSUBMARINE cREWs f 'Application' filed January 9, 1929, SeriaI`No. 331,369,`and in France February 2, 1928.

r Myinvention relates to al safety chamber vided with suitable bolts and thus establishes forfsubmarines destined for serving asa lifecommunication between the interior of the saver for thecrew thereof. The charactersubmarine and the movable water-ballast isticv of theinvention resides in usinga part tank. yThe man-holes are subsequently closed of one: of the-existing water-ballast tanks, and Ithe` reservoir unbolted from the `hull 55 normally operating as an ordinary waterfbal'- which accordingly'rises to the surface in View last tank, for lodging .the crew ytherein after of. Archimedes principle. ithas been: emptied. The part ofthe water- The man-.holes 6 illustrated on a larger ballast tank inquestion therefore constitutes scale in Fig. .6 arer provided in the surface 1C* a movable reservoir which maybe detached ofthe shelly opposite the movable-water bal- 60 y,from the submarine, and by reason of Archi-v last tanks and are disposed in axial aligna .medes principle, rises immediately to the surment with the man-holes of the submarine. face. The inventionprovides means destined Fluid tightness is assured by joints of rubber to'jfix1 the said'movable water-ballast tanks oranalogousmaterial. V

l'5upon the'shell 'ofthe submarine, the means or buoyancy 'reasons the water-ballast .1and'devi`ces for emptying such reservoirs and tanks which are detachably shown at 1 and 2 finally the means. fork detaching the? same. must bemade up ina symmetrical form and from the submarine in order* to provide lifepreferably in the form of'a right quadrangusaving equipment forthe crew. lar prism. Y T29 `Thei'nven'tion.will be more readily yunder- Each movable water-ballast tank is fur- 70 stood by referring to the accompanying drawnished with two valves 5 destined to be coning forming part'of this specification and in nected to the water exhaust line and the water which-- inlet line in order to allow the water-ballast ',Fig. 1 is asection taken cross-ways throug tanks to operate normally during normal op-l 25 a submarine showing the position of the moveration of the submarine. Furthermore, 75 able water-ballast tanks; four'auxiliary valves are provided for obtain- Fig. 2 is a partial side View thereof; l ing rapidemptying. in case of accident and Fig. 3 is a partial plan view thereof; are preferably connected to an air compressor Figa is a section through a two way valve or the like. *530 for emptying the* water-ballast tanksgf. In Fig. i is shown the double valve 5 per- 80 Fig.5 is a sectional detail of the'device for mitting the water-ballasttankto be emptied. securing the water-ballast tankstothe shell The 'manipulating handle V7 of the valve is p of the'submarine; and n' disposed inthe interior of the water-ballast f Fig. 6 is a section through the man-holes tank and is adapted to be removed from the i 35 of the water-ballast'tanks andthe submarine. tumbler of the valve to permit separation of 85 Referring to vthe drawing more in detail, the .Water-ballast tank from the hull.

the movable water-ballast tanks'l and 2 are The VWater-ballast tank is fixed to the hull ixed on each side of the hull of the submarine C by means of fastening screws 9 as shown in the most convenient position and in a way in Fig. 5. Thesaid screws engage in a taped 74,0 to obtain absolute,V water-tightness. Their part l0 of the hull C. .It is merely necessary constructioncorresponds exactly to that of to unscrew the said screws when the mem- 'the `water-ballast tanks Sand 4 placed on the bers of the crew have reclosed the manholes port and star-board sides. In the case of 6` after having passed into the water-ballast p stranding of the submarine, and according tank. 'l 45 to the position thereof` on the bottom of the The Water-ballast tank may, if desired, be 95 sea, one or the other of the Water-ballast tanks provided with life-saving devices which are l and 2 may be emptied intofthe' interior of the Awell known in the art such'as tubes of oxygen vesselbymeans ofadouble valveillustrated ,andthe like. Likewise it is to be underinv Figli. Once the emptying operation is stood that the particular kembodiment has effected, the vcrew opens the man-holes promerely been disclosed by Way of example and 100 that many changes might be madeV in the detail of my apparatus and the disposition of the parts thereof as well as the manner of operating the same without departing from the spirit of inyrinvention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims, the

particular novel feature of my invention rey siding 'in the fact that water-'ballast tanks in sections are employed which are adapted to be emptied and serve as safety chambers for the submarine crew, such watereballast tanks being detachablel from the submarine in Casek of shipwreck for saving thecrew.

Having described my invention. n whatV I' claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent'ofthe United States of America is;

1. A method of saving submarine crewsinA caseV of disaster, which consists in emptying one of the water-ballast tanks .of said sub'-V marine into the hull of said submarine, evacuating the crew of said submarineinto said Vempty water-ballasttank, closing said empty water-ballast tankand detaching said water ballast tank Jfrom said submarine whereby' said water-ballast tank `rises to the surface with said crew.

2. In a submarine having a plurality of sectional `water ballast tanks, means for re-V leasably securing certain of said. water ballast-tanks to the hull of said submarine, man-n holes communicating between said certain water-ballast tanks and ythezinterior of said submarine, means for emptying said certain water-ballast tanks into the interior of said submarine and means for rendering the inanholes in said certain water-ballast tanks fluid-v submarine and means for renderingv the man-` holes in said certain water-ballast tanks fluid*- tight. i 4. In a submarine havingy a plurality of sectional water ballast tanks, means .for releasably securing certain of said water ballast-tanks to the hull of saidsubmarine, man-v holes communicating between said certain water-ballast tanks and the interior of said submarine; a two-way valve for emptying said certain water-ballast tanksinto the interior of said/submarine adaptedto establish normal operation of said certain water-ballast tanks during normal operation'of said submarine, and means for rendering the manholes in said certain water-ballast tanksluid-tight.

' 5. `In a submarine `having a pluralityof sectional water ballast tanks, means for releasably securing certain of said water ballast-tanks to the hull of said submarine,v manholes communicating between said certain water-ballast tanks and the interior of said A i submarine7 means for emptying said certain water-ballast tanks into the interior of said submarine and'detachabl'e plates for renden. ing the manholes in saidicertain water-ballast tanks tluid-tight. 6. In a submarinehaving sectional water-ballast-tanks, Vbolts for-releasably-'securing certain 0i said watersballastf tanksto the hull* of said submarine', man# vaipluralityv of Y holes communicating between-said certains i-vat-er-ballast tanks and the interior of said submarine,Y a two-wayvalve` oremptying said certain water-ballast tanks Vinto the interior-'ot1 said submarine adapted to establish normal operation of said certainwater-bal-'v last tanks during'normal operation' of said submarine, and means for rendering the-man# Y holes in said certainwater-b'allast tanks Huidtight. .Y 'U

47. In" aA submarine'. having a plurality Vof sectional water ballast tanks, :bolts for' re-g` leasably securing certain of said water-ballast tanks to the hull ofsaid submarine, manfholes communicating'between saidgcertain water-1a Y ballast tanks'and the interior. ofY said sub-` marine, means for emptying y*said certain water-ballasty tanks into the interior fofk said.

submarine, and detachable plates orrendere f' ing the manholes in said certain water-ballast y tanks Huid-tight.

8. In a submarine havingaiplurality, ofl

sectional water-ballasttanks, means forre-v leasably securingcertainof said water bal? terior of said submarine adapted to establish normal operation of saidcertain water-ballastV tanks during normal'operation of said submarine*7 and detachable plates for rendering 'the manholes in said certain water-ballast tanks Huid-tight. .Q n y v 9. In al submarine having a pluralityof sectional water-ballast tanks,*bolts orref leasably securing Vcertain of said water-ballast tanks tothe hull of said submarine, manholes communicating, betweenvr said v certain water-ballasttanks and the interiory of said Y last tanks .during normalv operation of said submarine, and detachable plates for rendering the manholes in said certain water-ballast tanks luid-tight. 'l

' 10.In a,submarine-havinga pluralityot sectional water-ballast tanks, aplurality of water-ballast tanks having the form of aright 'quadrangular y prism cooperating with said rst mentioned. tanks, means, forreleasably securing said last mentioned tanks to the hull of said submarine,manho1es communicating between saidlast mentioned tanks and the interior of said submarine, means for emptying said last mentioned Water-ballast tanks into the interior of said submarine adapted to permit normal operation of said last mentioned tanks during normal operation of said submarine, and means for rendering the manholes in said last mentionedvr Water-ballast K tanks Huid-tight.

In `testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature.

ERNEST k PAUL LAURENT. 

